Improved valve for the hulls of



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. H. FAIRBANK AND FREDK. ROADS, OF MCKEESPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVED VALVE FOR THE HULLS OFWVE'SSELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,108, dated August 14, 1866.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it knownthat we, JOHN H. FATRBANK and FREDERICK ROADS, of McKeesport, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Arrangement of `Valves in the Hulls of Vessels; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification.

The present invention consists in the application and construction of a valve within the hull of a vessel, whether steam or sailing, by

the opening of which, when so desired, the.,

vessel can be made to fill with water, and thus sunk, in case it should be on fire, thereby preventing both its destruction and the freight or cargo of merchandise with which it is loadedan advantage of the utmost importance.

In the accompanying plate of drawing the figure is a central vertical section through a valve and its seat, suitable for being used in the hull of a vessel, and showing, in side elevation, the connecting parts for operating or opening and closing the valve.

A in the drawing represents the valve, the seat B of which is to be bolted or otherwise properly secured to the hull of a vessel, with its face outward, and also so as to open outward, and with the connecting parts for opening and closing it upon the inside ofthe hull. This valve and its seat are to be inserted in the hull so as to be flush, or nearly so, with its outside surface.

C is the valve stem or rod, whichis secured to the center of the inside face of, the valve, and extends upward, passing through, by its square end D, the guide cross-har E of the uprights F of the valveseat, the whole stem being made square at such portion, so that the valve cannot turn;

Along one side of the valve-stem O a series of teeth, Gr, are formed, with which teeth meshes the sector-shaped toothed end H of a lever-arm, I, hung upon a fulcrum at J of the uprights F, this lever-arm I, at its other end, being provided with a weight, J 2, sufficient to hold the valve up to and in its seat, or, in other words, closed.

In the extreme end'K of the weight J an eye, L, is inserted, through which is passed a Vvessel where it may be most convenient to be reached in times of danger or when the vessel is on fire, and the other, P, connects said link M with a spring-catch, Q, secured to the weight J, and interlocking, by its hook end-fR, with the xed staple or plate S of the hull of the vessel. To this short chain P, at or near its point of connection with the link-piece M, another chain, T, is hung, that, passing around a pulley, U, hung in the hull, extends upward, and is to becarried to the same portion of the vessel at which the other chain terminated.

By pulling upon the chain T the springcatch Q can be disengaged from the hull of the vessel, when, then pulling upon the other chain, U, the weighted lever can he raised, and thus, through its connection with the valve-stem, forcing outward and opening such valve, through which thc water can then rush, filling the vessel and sink the same, the weighted lever being held upward. by means `of the stop or holding-catch V for the same,

attached to or secured in the upper end of thc valve-stem C, as is obvious without any further explanation.

From the above description it is plainly apparent thatiu case a vessel is on fire it can be immediately filled with water by opening the valve arranged in its hull, as described, and thus sunk, thereby preventing not only the entire destruction of the vessel, but also saving its freight or cargo, it being intended to raise the vessel so sunk from the water, the expense attending which will be far below the loss of property which would have been sustained were it allowed to be burned or consumed, asis obvious. y

We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A valve, A, applied to and arranged in the hull of a vessel so as to operate and to be operated substantially in the manner described, and for the purpose specified.

JOHN H. FAIRBANK. FREDERICK ROADS. 

